Grab bucket



F. "JV. LOVELL GRAB BUCKET Fild Jan.- 26. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 F. w. LOVELL Aug. 14, 1923.

GRAB BUCKET Filed Jan. 26, 1921' a Sheets-Sheet 2 V F. W. LOVELL GRAB BUCKET v Filed Jan. 26, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug" 14, 1923,

FREnEnIoKw. Lo rntt; on ctnvfn'L/iiin; oi -tic, assienos To wi' nivie'iertns INTER STATE COMPANY, onctsvnmit'n, OHIO, A conronnm'ion on onIo.

e ses BUCKET.

Application filed 'Janu'ary ze; 1921'. Serial No. 440,214;

To a! Z whom it'mmg concern Be it known that LFnnnnmoK lib-Lorne; a citizen of the United States,residing at- Gleveland, inthe county of'Guyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Iinprovenientin Grab Buckets;

enact description.

This invention relates to a grab bucket,

and has for its chief:- object' to provide a bucket characterized by an unusual degree load, and which by its construction is well. admptedfor use lniun'load'ingboats, or under other circumstances which require that the bn'el'cet be lowered threuglra more or less restricted saacesu'ch asaa' hatch ooenin' the construction 0t the up'per part Oifflfill frameior housing of thebncltet being su' ch' as to make it easy to withdraw i the bucket through the restricted space and to minin'iize liability of shocksbetweenthe bucket and some overheadmembenas the bucketos elevated.

The invention bebriefly summarized as: consisting in certain novel details of construction,v and combinations and" arrangements of parts whi'clii'will be described in the specification and set pended claims;

In the accompanying sheets of drawings Whereinl have shown '1I1 "GIHb0Cl1InIlt of the invention which opetates'with very high emciency, Figs. 1 and'Q are perspective views of my improved grab bucket, Fig; 1 show ing-ithe 'jawsp'arti'alljv open, and Fig 2 showing theinrc'losedyFig; 3 is aside View of the'bucket showing by full lines the jaws ini'closed position and by dotted lines" in openposition; Fig. 41 is a plan iewof the top-oi the bucket} F @215 is an end or side View with the": bucket: turned ninety degrees "from? the position shown" in Fig; 3 1 6 is a transverse sectional YieW substantially alongitheiline' 6' 6of Figli 5, looking in the direction ,i-ndicatedfbyith e ar1'oWs','and Fig'. 7 isa View 011 a'reduced scaleshowing oneof the bucket jaws; I l

V My'inip'roved grab bucket includes rigid frame onhousing Whichdn the-main is in the form l of d truncated"pyramid; twoot the sidesaslopiiigfinward from tie bottom to" the top," andtlie othen tii' oisides being pa'ral lel'for' a portion of their heighti; and at'a fo'rth in the apcertain-point sloping inward toward the top. This inward sloping or general pyramidal form makes it virtually impossible for thebucket to get other thana glancing blow when the bucket is being elevated through a hatch opening or other restricted space; i V

The frame at the top has acast steel cap 10 which receives upper sheaves 11 mounted on a pin or stud 12,and extending down-from this cap'at'the cornersof the fra'me'are four angles 13. These diagonally disposed corner angles are connectedbystructural members in the form of plates andangles such as indi cated at 14:, so'as to provide' a'n extremely rigid and strong frame or housing, Well adapted'to accommodate the operating parts or" the bucket:' V V.

1 Two opposite sides of the housing, these being the sides between which the jaws swing, are parallel from their lower portions up to a? point just beneath theup'persheaves 11 to accommodate a sliding lower she'cve holder as'n il'l subsequently appear, and then these sid'es'taper ofi' to'ward the topas already explained"; The lower portions of these sides just referred to; extend" down Ward in the form of a V, as shown "at 15, the" f shape'd portions extending below the lower ends of the'corner' angles13,' and at thetop' of the J-sh'aped portions of these sides oiit Wardlybowedtruss like-"plates 16 are 'pro vided, these platesextending across the sides from' one cornerangle to the other sons to stiffen and br'a'ce the downward"extending V-shaped portions. V

These ides are further stiffened by external steehrailsl'? whijch extend iroint'he top of the frainedown through and; at" right angles to the bowed plates- 16 'tofthe" apices of the \l-shaped portions 15. These rails" serve not only to stiffen tlitafrarnbiit take" thethrust or blow it the'sides strike anobstruction. V V

The jaws of the bucket which are shown at 18, have their upper outer portions connectejd'by cast steel swinginglinlfs 19,tothe four lower corners of the frameadjacent the lower ends of'the' corner angles" 18 and" the up'per inner portjions'of these jaws' are further connected by ar'n'is: 20 toopposite ends 01" a vertically movable jaw operating member and lower sheave'holde'rfll, whieh" after the manner o f'a cross-headslides up and down in thehousingL This member 21'' is substantially semi-cylindrical in form with a rounded bottom and open top, and it carries a plurality of lower sheaves. 22

mounted on a pin 23 in diagonally disposed running and off-running portions of the op-' erating rope'will be at the centerplane of the bucket.

The ends 25 of the jaw operating member or cross-head 21. have thick center portions 26 provided withvertical guide slots which receive the heads of two oppositely disposed guide rails 27 which are secured to the inner sides of the frame, these guide rails extending from the lower ends or points of the V shaped portions 15 to the upperlimits of the parallel sides, and then for a. distance along the inclined portions, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6. These inner guide rails 27 not only guide the'jaw operating member and lower sheave holder 21 in its vertical move ment, but assist in strengthening and stiffening the frame. The jaw operating arms 20 are pivoted to the ends of the member 21-on pins 28 which are located on opposite sides of the slides receiving the guide rails 27 as shown in Fig. 6.

' Two ropes are utilized'in operating this bucket, namely, a holding rope 30 and an opening andclosing-rope 31. The ends of the holding rope 30 are attached to the middle points of two transverse pins or bolts 32 which pass through the upper cap 10 and.

through the upper ends of the corner. angles 13. The opening and closing rope 31 .is reeved back and forth around the upper and lowersheaves 11 and22, and the on-running and off-running portions of this rope pass between pairs of guide. rollers 33 supported by the cap 10, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, these portions of this rope being in the center plane of the bucket.

The following features of construction with the attendantpeculiar movements and relationship of the parts at various positions of the jaws, contribute to the production of a bucket with a powerful and efficient closing stroke. For example, it is-important that the links 19 beconnect-ed substantially as shown, to the upper outer cormore of thejaws. It is to be noted also, that the arms 20 are upwardly inclined when the bucket is closed, and'that the points of connection of these arms and the cross-head are above the links when the bucket is closed, but when the bucket is full open the arms 20 are downwardly inclined, and the points of connection with the cross-head are below the links, the arms 20 making about the same angle with one another when the bucket is open as when the bucket is closed;

Likewise it is to be noted that when the bucket is closed the links 19'are outwardly inclined from their'points of suspension on the frame or housing, and that when'the bucket is full open the links 19 are inclined inwardly; The links 19 swing in and out to accommodate the up and down movement of the cross-head 21, and as the cross-head is lowered from its uppermost positiomand as the arms 20 approach a position'of alignment, the links 19 swing outward, and when the cross-head passesbelow this position of the arms, the links swing inward. When the cross-head starts upward in the closing movement of the aws, not only do the lower digging edges of the bucket move inward,- but at the same time the upper ends of the struction, I do not wish to be confined to the" exact details shown, as C61t&111HlOCllfiCiitlOIlS can be made without adversely affecting the efficiency of the bucket. 7

Having described myinventiomd claim: 1. In a grab bucket, a frame having a relatively fixed sheave holder at :the top and a lower movable sheave holder in the form of a cross-head, apair of jaws connected to the frame andhaving operating arms connected to the cross-head, said frame being in the form of a rigid structure with two opposite sides inclined inward toward the upper sheave holder and .two opposite sideshaving parallel portions on which the cross-head is guided, and inwardly inclined portions above the parallel portions, said relatively fixed sheave holder being mounted within the upper portion of the frame between the last mentioned inwardly inclined side portions. 1

2. In a grab buc'ket,-a frame in the general form of a truncated pyramid with two opposite inclined sides and two opposite sides'parallel fora distance from the bottom, and with upper portions inwardly inclined, a relatively fixed sheave holder within the upper portion of the frame,'a lower sheave holder in the form of. a cross-head guided for vertical movement onthe parallel portions of the last mentioned sides, jaws connected to the frame and having arms connected to the cross-head, and means for. operating the cross-head."

3. In a grab bucket, a rigid frame-having an upper relatively fixedsheaveholder, a lower movable sheave holder in .theiform of a cross-head guided for vertical move ment on two opposite sides of the frame, a pair of jaws connected to four lower cor- 1 ers ofthe-frame and having operating arms lower movable sheave holderin theformof a cross-head guided for vertical movemention two opposite sides of the frame, vertical QSQrhQfi guides upon. the. inner, faces of the sides of the frame, apair ofj aws connected to four lower corners of the frame and having operating arms connected to the cross-head, the two sides of the frame on which the crosshead is guided having extensions projecting downwardly beneath the points of connection with the jaws, and vertically disposed stiffening members extending centrally from the upper end of the frame down along the outer facesof said sides to the lower portions of said extensions.

5. In a. grab bucket, a rigid'frame having an upper relatively fixed sheave holder, a lower movable sheave holder in the form of cross-head guided for vertical movement on two opposite sides of the frame, a pair of jaws iconnectedto four lower corners of,

the frame, and having operating arms connected to the cross-head, the two sides of the frame on which the cross-head is guided having extensions projecting downwardly beneath the points of connection with the jaws, and vertically disposed members extending centrally down along the inner and outer faces of said sides including the extensions, the inner members forming guides for the cross-head.

6. In a grab bucket, a rigid frame having an upper relatively fixed sheave holder, a lower movable sheave holder in the form of a crosshead guided for vertical movement on two opposite sides of the fr me, vertical cross-head guldes upon the lnner faces of the sides of the frame, a pair of jaws conthereof, an upper sheave holder within the housing, a movable lower sheave holder guided in the housing for vertical movement &

and connectedlto thecjaws to operate them, aaid housing comprising downwardly and outwardly inclined corner members connectedtogether to. form a rigid frame-work.

. 8. A grab; bucket. comprising a housing having jaws connected tothe lower part thereof, an upper sheave holder, a-movable lower sheaveholder guided in the housing for vertical movement and connected to the jaws to operate them, said housing comprising downwardly and outwardly: in: clinedcorner members connected together to for a rigid framework, twoofthe sides havig guides forztlie cr ss-h adland provided as the bottom with extensions between which the jaws swing, said sides being braced externally by transverse and vertically disposed members. I

9. In a grab bucket, a housing having an upper sheave holder, a lower sheave holder movable vertically in the housing and guided thereby, a pair of jaws having arms connected to the ends of the lower sheave holder and links connected to the lower outer portions of the housing and connected to upper outer corners of the jaws.

10. In a grab bucket, a housing having an upper sheave holder, a lower sheave holder movable vertically in the housing and guided thereby, a pair of jaws having arms connected to the ends of the lower sheave holder, and links connected to the lower outer portions of the housing and connected to upper outer corners of the jaws, the links being inclined outwardly from the housing to the jaws when the latter are closed and inclined inwardly from the housing when the jaws are full open.

11. In a grab bucket, a housing having an upper sheave holder, a lower sheave holder movable vertically in the housing and guided thereby, a pair of jaws, links connecting the jaws to the lower outer portions of the housing, and jaw operating arms rigidly connected to the jaws and pivotally connected to the lower sheave holder, said arms being at substantially right angles to the direction of movement of the lower sheave holder when the jaws are partially open and being inclined downwardly from the jaws when the latter are full open.

12. In a grab bucket, a housing having an upper sheave holder, a lower sheave holder movable vertically in the housing and guided thereby, a pair of jaws, links connecting the jaws to the lower outer portions of the housing, and jaw operating arms rigidly connected to the jaws and pivotally connected to the lower sheave holder, said arms inclining upwardly from the jaws to the lower sheave holder when the jaws are closed and inclining downwardly from the jaws to said sheave hold 1' when the jaws are full open.

13. In a grab bucket, a housing having an upoer sheave holder, a lower sheave holder movable vertically in the housing and guided thereby, a pair of jaws, links connecting the jaws to'the lower outer portions of the housing, and jaw operating arms rigidly connected'to the jaws and pivotally connected to the lower sheave holder, said arms being inclined upwardly and inwardly when the a-ws are closed and being inclined downwardly when the jaws are full open, and in both instances making substantially the same angle with each other.

14;. Ina grab bucket, a housing having an upper sheave holder, a lower sheave holder movable vertically in the housing and guided thereby, a pair of aws, links connecting the jaws to the lower outer portions of the housing, and jaw operating arms rigidly connected to the jaws and pivotally connected to the lower sheave holder, thepoints of connection of: the arms with the lower sheave holder passing from a position above to a position below the points of connection of the links with the jaws when the latter'are moved from closed to full open position.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my slgnature. V

' FREDERICK wLovnLL. 

